


Blue

by squiggid



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Jealousy, M/M, Of course....... lobsters, Unrequited Crush, Why You Shouldn’t Date An Artist If You’re The Jealous Type
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:02:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23242195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squiggid/pseuds/squiggid
Summary: He must be an art student, with the way he holds his pen against the tablet like a paintbrush against canvas. Something about the boy attracts Ren’s attention, not only because he’s ridiculously handsome, but also because there’s a quiet, mysterious, and almost sad air about him.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Kitagawa Yusuke, Kitagawa Yusuke/Kurusu Akira, Kitagawa Yusuke/Persona 5 Protagonist
Kudos: 71





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello~! I used the name Ren here instead of Akira, because... I’ve played a lot of Dancing in Starlight, and that’s the name they use there, lol. Also if it isn’t clear enough, this is set in college years. Sorry to Haru and Makoto for not making it in!
> 
> If you like this, please feel free to reach out to me on Twitter. I’d love to chat! It’s my name but with a j instead of a gg.

Ren takes a deep breath upon entering Café LeBlanc, taking in that familiar strong scent of coffee and wood. It’s a scent he’s grown to associate with the start of a day, an away from the bullshit happening with his school, a chance to be The Bespectacled Barista rather than The Kid on Probation. It smells like freedom.

He starts his usual route around the café, opening blinds, taking down upturned chairs, wiping tables clean. The familiar sound of Sojiro roasting fresh coffee beans comes from the back of the café, and Ren knows the boss has already started the brew for the coffee of the day. He’s a laid-back guy, but he won’t let any of his employees touch his beloved first brew of the day, not Ren who’s been working here close to six months now, not the new part-timer Ann, who definitely still needs to work on her customer service skills first before touching any coffee beans. 

Ren ties on his apron, flips around the Open sign, and gets to work.

As the day goes on, customers come in and out. Regulars, businessmen on their way to work, older women who gossip for hours, couples on cute dates. There’s the familiar crowd of students, too, either studying hard or socializing to get a much-needed break from school. Sometimes his friend Ryuji drops by to whine and groan about school and how lucky he is to be missing it (and Ren has to tell him for the thousandth time that his position is not lucky at all).

But Ryuji usually comes by on Tuesdays between classes. Today is Monday, which means another familiar face will stop by.

As soon as the clock hits 2:30, he walks in: the boy with the blue hair, smooth with long bangs that almost cover his dark blue eyes. That quiet atmosphere about him, subdued yet still overwhelmingly polite. That deep voice when he orders a single black coffee in a mug before setting up shop in the corner by the window, sketching on his tablet for hours until close. He must be an art student, with his drawing tablet and the way he holds his pen, like a delicate instrument, like a paintbrush against canvas. Something about the boy attracts Ren’s attention, not only because he‘s ridiculously handsome, but also because there’s a quiet, mysterious, and almost sad air about him.

“Why don’t you just go talk to him?” Ann says one day while cleaning the countertop.

Ren scoffs. “And say what?”

“I don’t know, just talk!” Ann says enthusiastically. “Sometimes I just talk to people without knowing where it’s going.”

Ren sighs, “I know, Ann. I know.”

“See, look.” A young couple approaches the bar, and Ann jumps right into her overly enthusiastic, awkward customer service voice. “Why, hello, there! You two seem to be... getting along...”

“Ann, just,” Ren cuts in before it gets any worse. “Just get their coffees, they’re regulars.”

It’s true that Ren wants to talk to him, but he doesn’t know what to say. Do they have anything in common at all? Ren doesn’t have an artistic bone in his body—what else does he have to offer? And anyway, maybe he’s one of the types of customers who’d rather be left alone than approached.

Sighing, Ren steals a glance over at the quiet boy scrawling away at his tablet. One day, maybe, but not today.

—

When the opportunity finally does present itself, Ren’s surprised that the boy is the one to initiate the conversation.

It’s a quiet Spring afternoon. The TV is showing the beautiful cherry blossoms over in Kyoto to a nearly empty crowd, as the students are on break, including Ann, who says something about a photo shoot on the beach before leaving for the day.

Ren’s washing out some mugs when the blue-haired boy walks in.

It’s a pleasant surprise. Isn’t it spring break over where he’s studying, as well? Who knows, maybe art schools are on a different schedule, Ren doesn’t know anything about how that world works. 

The boy takes a sweeping look at the near empty cafe and then walks over to the counter.

“Good afternoon,” he greets in his usual polite manner. “May I have a cup of coffee for here, please?”

“Of course,” Ren replies easily. He logs in the order on the POS tablet and then starts preparing the coffee.

There’s a quiet moment filled with the sounds of him measuring out and grinding coffee beans. Ren’s heart beats wildly in his chest, and it’s hard to maintain a steady hand as he pours hot water over the filtered coffee grinds. What should he say? Would it be weird to say anything? He’s painfully aware of how quiet it is in the cafe—one of the few customers would hear his awkward attempt at a conversation. Should he even bother trying?

“It is quite barren today, isn’t it?”

Ren’s heart skips a beat. He wasn’t prepared for this, for the blue-haired boy to speak first. Elated but flustered, he quickly searches for something appropriate to say.

He goes with, “Uh, no plans for spring break for you?”

“I’m afraid my lack of funds prevents me from the luxury of travel,” the guy says with a sullen look on his face before recognition sweeps past instead. “Ah, are you a student at Kosei, as well?”

“Oh, no, I’m not, but I know a lot of customers here go there.”

“Shujin, then?”

“Eh, sort of.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m on academic probation.”

“Really? For what reason?”

Ren scratches the back of his neck. “It’s kinda a long story.”

“I see,” the boy says thoughtfully. “Well, perhaps you can enlighten me today. After all, it doesn’t look as though you’ll be particularly busy, and I do need fresh inspiration for my art.”

Ren coughs. Flattered and embarrassed to be considered “inspiration,” he tries to change the subject. “So you’re an art student, then?”

“Yes, I am.” As if Ren didn’t already know.

“What kind of stuff do you draw?”

Before Ren can be too hard on himself for asking such a dumb question, the boy responds as if he’s answered a million times before. “I like to explore the intricacies of human emotion through various forms, whether that be through abstract, dynamic pieces or the portrait of a nude woman.”

Ren doesn’t know if he should focus more on the “nude” part or the “woman” part.

The boy continues, frowning, “Although, no matter what I draw, I’ve been told I have a certain distinct style that shows the influence of my late mentor.”

“You say that as if it’s a bad thing,” Ren notes.

The boy pauses and then sighs. “It is... a long story, as you say.”

“Well, you said it yourself,” Ren says, offering his guest a cup of coffee. “Maybe we can trade stories and enlighten each other.”

The boy immediately perks up. “Yes, what a marvelous idea!”

Ren clears his throat to mask his embarrassment and excitement. Who would have guessed it’d be this easy to talk to the guy? Well, even if he has that particular way of speech that makes it just a little hard to keep up.

He makes himself a cup of coffee before saying, “Well, as long as we’re getting to know each other, might as well introduce ourselves. I’m Ren.”

“Goodness, forgive me for my rude introduction,” the boy says, genuinely distraught. “I‘m Yusuke.”

“Yusuke,” Ren repeats, smiling to himself. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Yusuke returns, still with all that formality about him even as they’ve exchanged names. With his new cup of coffee, he gets settled on a stool at the counter, his tablet pushed to the side.

It’s always a little bit shameful to explain what happened with his probation, even if it is completely not his fault. Ren explains the false accusation of assault, and he doesn’t even have to insist as much as usual to convince the listener this time. Yusuke turns out to be an excellent listener, offering comments and clarifications between sips of coffee.

In return, Yusuke divulges his story. How he admired his late teacher to the point of what seemed like a father-son relationship before it was revealed that he was abusing his students and only wanted to sell their works to the highest bidder, all to uphold his esteemed name. As Yusuke speaks, Ren sees the light in the student’s eyes start to fade, his smile start to pull into a grimace of disgust. It’s heartbreaking to see him this way.

“You must have really looked up to him,” Ren observes.

Yusuke sighs. “It matters not. He was tried for his crimes and is now behind the cold steel bars he deserves. Still, I feel as if his ghost is haunting me, in my home and in my art.”

“Then let’s get you a new source of inspiration,” Ren suggests, a lightbulb going off in his head and a surge of confidence running through his veins. “It’s spring break. Let’s do something fun.”

Just like that, the light is back in Yusuke’s eyes. “What did you have in mind?”

Shit, he didn’t think that far ahead. Flustered, Ren says the first thing he thinks of, the most recent thing someone’s mentioned when talking about spring break.

“How about the beach?”

Yusuke’s eyebrows shoot up. “The beach? I haven’t been since I was a child.” He starts to smile, but his mouth instead twists into a frown. “Ah, however, there is one slight problem. As I mentioned earlier, I am rather low on funds.”

“Oh, that’s no problem. I’ll cover you.” Ren can barely hear his own voice over the blood rushing to his ears.

“No, I couldn’t possibly accept that.”

“Hey, really, it’s fine, I don’t mind.”

Yusuke cocks his head, a little to the right and a little to the back, exposing his smooth neck. “Are you sure?”

“Sure, yeah, of course,” Ren insists, even when his heart’s threatening to burst out of his chest. “Besides, it was my idea.”

A thoughtful look dons Yusuke’s face. He seems confused about what’s happening, almost suspicious. This sort of thing must not happen to him much, which is sort of hard to believe, really, because he is, again, very handsome.

“All right,” he finally says, slowly, clearly still thinking about it. “When shall we go?”

Ren thinks for a moment. “How about tomorrow?”

Yusuke takes out his phone to make a note to himself. “Shall I meet you here in the morning, then?”

“Ah, yeah, but let me give you my number just in case something happens,” Ren says, taking out his phone as well.

It almost doesn’t feel real when Ren enters the boy’s name and number into his contacts.

“Yusuke Kitagawa,” Ren says under his breath as he types the name in.

“Ren Amamiya,” Yusuke returns.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” Ren says, trying his hardest to hold back a grin.

“Tomorrow,” Yusuke echoes with a small smile himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have never been to a track meet, and it may or may not show.

It’s a bit of a chilly morning, so much so that Ren worries about the beach plan. Of course some things are to go awry when making plans, but he wants things to go as perfect as possible for their date. Date? Hangout? Casual outing? Whatever.

Yusuke appears exactly on time, wearing a light gray hoodie. He looks cold with his hood up, like a child, and it takes everything in Ren to not to reach out and hug him.

“Hopefully it’ll get warmer later,” Ren comments on Yusuke’s hood.

A thoughtful look passes over Yusuke’s face. “Yes, I quite hope so, otherwise I don’t think this trip will be much fun.”

“I’ll make sure it’s fun,” Ren says before leading the way to the train station.

It takes a couple transfers to get over to the beach, but then they’re there, sand and waves crashing and seagulls cawing and all. A light breeze carries a whiff of salty water over the sand over to where Ren and Yusuke are standing, taking in the vast beach while changing their shoes into flip flops.

“It’s beautiful,” Yusuke almost gasps, breath taken away. 

Ren can’t help feeling good about himself for this idea. “Think you can find some inspiration here?”

“It will be more than inspiring—enchanting, even,” Yusuke says, delighted. “I already have a thousand ideas in my head.”

“Great, then let’s find a spot to sit.”

It takes a bit of trekking, but after they’ve walked past their fifth sand castle, they find a lucky spot under an umbrella. 

“Well, then,” says Yusuke, placing his bag carefully on towel. “I suppose we’re all settled.”

“Yeah, we found a good spot,” Ren agrees.

“Then we should get dressed into the  
appropriate attire.”

Before Ren can even process what’s happening, Yusuke bends forward and slides off his pants, revealing he’s been wearing swim trunks under his pants this entire time. They’re quite cute, actually, blue with white polka dots. Fuck, everything about this boy is cute.

Curiously, he doesn’t take off his hoodie. Ren doesn’t pry—even if he would love to see Yusuke in even less clothes. 

“Well?” Yusuke says expectedly.

“Huh?” says Ren, confused and off-guard. Does Yusuke really want him to comment on his lack of clothing?

Gesturing to Ren’s body, Yusuke says, “Will you not be dressed for the occasion as well?

“O-oh, right,” Ren stutters. He’s such a mess.

To say that stripping in front of his person of interest is embarrassing is an understatement, to say the least. With every piece of clothing he removes, he feels his face getting hotter, even without the sun beating down on them.

When he looks back over at Yusuke after tossing his shirt on the towel, he sees Yusuke’s intent gaze touching every part of his body, not scanning him like a machine, but washing over him as if memorizing the details of his body. Yusuke’s focused, darting eyes are hypnotizing, holding him in place on the warm sand.

And then Yusuke meets his eyes and blinks away that concentrated expression. “My apologies. I was merely making some mental notes.”

“For what?”

“For later,” Yusuke answers cryptically. “Now, what shall we do?”

Ren can think of a thousand things, most of them involving taking off that stupid hoodie, but he chooses the most chaste option. 

“Come on, let’s go over to the water.”

They spend some time in the water, slowly wading into it, feeling the waves pushing them back and forth, and then venturing forth inch by inch until they’re basically swimming, or at least as much as they can with the aggressive waves crashing down on them. Laughs and coughs escape them as they try their hardest to fight back the waves until, exhausted, they head back to the safe house of their towel, feet caked in sand.

“You hungry?” Ren asks.

“Famished,” Yusuke responds, wiping a hand towel against his wet hair.

“Wait here.”

It’s not hard to find a restaurant nearby with typical beach food—overpriced, sure, but hopefully delicious. Ren takes a plate of coconut shrimp and a glass of pink lemonade over to their spot...

... only to see Yusuke sketching wildly on his tablet, eyes trained on a few women in bathing suits playing volleyball.

“I got us some food,” Ren says, maybe a little too loudly in hopes of distracting his friend.

“Ah, thank you,” Yusuke says without even looking up. Plan failed.

Sighing, Ren sits down next to him and peeks at the tablet. There’s already several sketches of women in various poses, ready to block a ball, leaping in the air, leaning down and exposing the curves of their breasts.

“They’re pretty, aren’t they?” Ren asks, trying his best to keep his cool.

“They’re stunning,” Yusuke agrees, to Ren’s dismay. “The curves of their bodies, the structure of their bones—I could spend a day drawing them over and over again.”

“Hm,” is all Ren can manage to say, taking a vicious bite of shrimp.

So that was his type, huh? Ren always wondered, but he didn’t think it was that—beautiful swimsuit models. It’s a type simple-minded Ryuji would get excited over, not what he’d expect from someone   
sophisticated like an art student. If that’s the case, it’s up to Ren to either try to prove himself despite the odds or to just give it up completely.

When they finally leave the beach an hour or so later, Ren still doesn’t know which way to go.

—

“Seriously, dude?” Ryuji says in disbelief. “This guy?”

Ren shrugs as a group of boys in track uniforms hurry by.

Once he’d gotten home after the trip to the beach, he’d texted Yusuke to make sure he also made it home safely. The conversation quickly turned to other plans Ren had for the week, and when he’d mentioned his friend’s track meet, Yusuke practically begged to accompany him.

Taking a glance over in the direction Yusuke had just left to find the restroom, Ren says to his friend, “Why? Do you have a problem with him?”

“Not really, it’s just...” Ryuji takes a second to think. “I always thought you’d go for someone... classier?”

“And he’s not the embodiment of class? He’s an art student.”

“Well, sure, but...” Ryuji scratches his head. “He’s sort of a weirdo.”

“Again, he’s an art student.”

“Whatever, man, you do you,” Ryuji breezes, starting to walk backwards. “I gotta get out there. See you after I’m done!”

“Good luck!” Ren calls after him right as Yusuke joins him.

“I’ve never attended an athletic event before,” Yusuke thinks aloud, looking over at the stands and the competitors stretching on the track.

“Oh yeah?” Ren says. “Then this should be a new source of inspiration for you, too.”

“Yes,” Yusuke agrees. “I have you to thank for introducing me to so many new areas of exploration. Without you, I wouldn’t be bursting with creative energy.”

Ren bites his lip to keep from smiling too wide, but still he averts his gaze.

He still doesn’t know what to do here. He doesn’t know if this should just be a new friend he’s made, after months of pining and wondering and imagining all the different circumstances that lead to them up against a wall in fervor. Maybe today is a good day to figure it out, see if he has any chance, see if they have any chance.

They make their way over to the stands. Down on the track, the runners look so small in their track tanks and running shorts. Watching them hop restlessly from one foot to the next pumps Ren up, even if he usually isn’t one to be too active.

“I am wrought with anxiety.”

Ren turns to look at Yusuke. He’s literally vibrating with excitement, knees bouncing and shaking the whole row. At his silence, Yusuke turns to Ren, face screwed up with discomfort but also an intense giddiness that twists his mouth into a tight smile.

Sure, he is a little odd. But there’s a charming energy about him that draws Ren in.

“Do you wanna bet on who wins?” Ren asks smirking.

Yusuke’s shaking slows to a stop as he quirks an eyebrow. “Would it not be disrespectful to your friend to not bet on him?”

“Ah, don’t worry, Ryuji’s not up for a while. He refuses to do anything but dashes.”

“Dashes?”

“Yeah, just straight running. First up is a relay.”

“A relay...” Yusuke muses, crossing his legs. “I see...”

There’s nothing more that Ren wants to do than slide his hand between those crossed legs.

“Well then,” Yusuke says after surveying the competitors. “Based crudely on physical form alone, I believe I shall be betting on #4520.”

The competitor in question is tall, lean, and has some dynamic-looking legs. A pang of jealousy hits Ren’s chest. Is that his type? With his lanky body, there’s no way Ren could keep up with something like that.

“And you?” Yusuke says, pulling Ren back to the conversation.

“Oh, uh.” Ren chooses the first person he sees. “#7285.”

“Hm, quite fit, but I don’t see what you see in him.”

“Maybe he’s not as fit as the other guys, but he can still bring it home.”

“We shall see,” Yusuke says with a twinkle in his eye.

The racers take their starting position, and Ren and Yusuke wait in trepidation. Then pop goes the starting gun, and the runners are off, all perfect form and lean muscle, the sounds of their trampling feet overwhelmed by the cheers of the crowd. Hands are clapped, sweat smacking off into the humid air, and then the next wave of runners take off, trying their best to harness the energy that their teammates have passed onto them.

When the last of the runners cross the finish line, Ren turns to find his friend wide-eyed and speechless.

“Incredible,” Yusuke says breathlessly. “I had no idea the human body could accomplish such a feat or be pushed to such a limit. What extraordinary prowess.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty impressive, not gonna lie,” Ren agrees, turning back to the tired runners walking it off. “Anyway, it looks like we were both wrong: the team on lane four won.”

“Ah, you are correct,” Yusuke says, still a bit dazed. “How could anyone have guessed? Perhaps his team composition was more fit for the event? Yes, harmony must be a key to this challenge: not simply one physical factor, but rather an orchestra of various talents.”

“You seem to be inspired,” Ren says, not being able to hide his amusement in his tone.

“I am,” Yusuke says as if just realizing how to put his feelings into words, “But I cannot believe it can only be me who is inspired. This is a visual, physical, almost tangible representation of inspiration. Do you not feel it, too, this energy?”

The light in his eyes, the earnestness in all his movements and his words... everything about this boy. It all makes Ren want to show him so many new experiences, go everywhere with him, share so many precious moments with him. Ren wants to try this, even if he doesn’t know how it’ll end.

“Yeah, I can feel it,” he says.

Next up is hurdles, and the last of the runners haven’t even finished crossing the finish line before Yusuke’s scrambling for his bag.

“Incredible,” he mumbles under his breath. “I was not prepared to be impressed even further by the accomplishments of the human body.”

“Are you looking for your tablet?”

“Indeed, I must draw this while I am still inspired to do so, and while I have such excellent models before me.”

Something about the way he says that causes something dull and dark to block the warmth in Ren’s heart. With his jaw set, Ren glances over at Yusuke’s tablet to see man after man in various poses, all accentuating their toned bodies shaped to athletic perfection. Every time Yusuke’s tablet pen traces over a leg muscle or a toned bicep, all Ren can feel is something hot and stupid mixed with a desperate mind-numbing yearning.

It could have been him, all of these drawings, it could have been him in his room, just the two of them, with him holding various poses in his gym clothes. But maybe it couldn’t have been, because clearly this is Yusuke’s type: perfect body, sculpted like a statue, like a fucking fitness textbook model. Of course the guy would only be interested in models—he’s an art student, he only needs the best.

By the time the next race, Ryuji’s 100-meter-dash, starts and finishes, Yusuke has files after files of sketches, some of Ryuji even—and that’s the real kicker, that’s what tips everything over the edge. Yusuke goes to the length of drawing Ryuji’s face, the face of Ren’s own best friend, and as much as Ren loves the guy, he can’t stand the thought of losing to him.

“I’m headed out,” he says a bit too loudly, standing up from the stands abruptly.

Yusuke finally looks up after what seems like hours of looking at that damn tablet. “What? Already?”

“Yeah.”

“But what about your friend?”

“He’ll be fine.”

“But what about... me?”

Ren hisses, “You’ll be fine, too.”

He leaves still feeling that bubbling anger but not before catching the confused and hurt look on Yusuke’s face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for making it to the end! Yes, this is where that Explicit warning comes into play. :upside-down-smile:

The next day is hell.

All day, he gets texts from Yusuke, as he’s brushing his teeth in the morning, as he leaves for work, as he serves cups of coffee and cleans tables and the hours bore on. Luckily, as spring break begins to draw to a close, more and more customers are returning to the café, keeping him busy with taking orders and making drinks. But every couple that walks through, every student who sets up their tablets, every quiet boy—all of it‘s a blatant, ugly reminder of what could have been. 

“You should talk to him,” Ann says after another unanswered buzz of his phone. Her tone is caring but cautious, like she can sense the cold anger within him.

Talk to him and say what? Answer one of his many “I‘m not quite sure how I upset you, but I’m certain we can work it out if you talk to me” texts, his “I had a wonderful time with you yesterday, if that’s what this is about” texts, his “Please, Ren, answer me” texts, and say what? “Yeah, I had a great time, too, until you started drawing other guys and I realized I was a fucking idiot to ever think I had a chance with you”? Yeah, sure, that would go over well.

At the end of the day, when Ren locks up the café ducking his head under the hood of the entrance to protect from the rain, he hears footsteps behind him.

“I suppose it’s too late to order a coffee.”

It’s Yusuke holding a transparent umbrella, wearing flip flops for the rain and the same light gray hoodie he wore at the beach. He looks a little like the first time Ren saw him—shy, uncertain, withdrawn, but also a little sad now.

Ren’s heart pangs from that hint of sadness, but it also hurts from just seeing him at all. Even in flip flops, Yusuke’s still as handsome as ever.

In a hard tone, Ren says, “We close at 7.”

“I’m aware,” Yusuke says softly. “May we talk?”

Ren drops his gaze. “I don’t want to.”

“Well, you’ve made that perfectly clear—”

“Then why’d you come?” Ren snaps, glaring at him. “Why’d you come if you knew I didn’t want to talk?”

“I wanted to know why you’ve given me the cold shoulder,” Yusuke says, eyebrows furrowing. “I at least deserve to know that much.”

Ren scoffs, “You wouldn’t understand.”

“I believe I would if you give me the chance.”

“No, you don’t get it, you wouldn’t understand!”

“Try me!”

Brimming with frustration, Ren does the only thing he can think to get his point across in the most straightforward way possible: he steps forward in the rain, grabs Yusuke’s shirt, and presses a hard kiss against his lips. One, two, three seconds, and then he steps back again, not quite as far as he was before, but not quite as close, either.

The raindrops against the pavement sound like echoes of his racing heart.

“I... I don’t understand,” Yusuke says under his breath. He looks a little dazed, a little flushed. “How long have you felt this way?”

“Since you set foot in the cafe, stupid,” Ren sighs, shaking his head and refusing to meet Yusuke’s eye. “But it doesn’t matter, you don’t like me, so whatever.”

A beat and then, quietly, “Who said I didn’t like you?”

With a snap of his head, Ren looks at Yusuke with raised eyebrows. “You... like me?”

“Of course I like you,” says Yusuke simply, looking thoughtful and genuinely confused. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have let you kiss me just now.“

A wave of relief flows through Ren, leaving him feeling lightheaded. Still in a bit of denial, he says, “But I’m not some beautiful swimsuit model or a fit athlete.”

Recognition fills Yusuke’s eyes before he grimaces. “Ah, you misunderstand. My attraction to certain body types is nothing more than artistic vision, separate from an emotional response. On the other hand, I am quite attracted to you artistically as well. I even have the sketches to prove it.“

As he talks, he fumbles through his bag—a little awkwardly as he clamps his umbrella between his neck and his shoulder—and takes out his tablet. After a few seconds of tapping, Yusuke turns the screen to show sketch after sketch of Ren, serving a cup of coffee, cleaning a dish, relaxing on the beach and smiling softly.

“O-oh,” Ren says dumbly. What can he say?

With a little more fumbling, Yusuke puts away his tablet and then resumes his previous position under the umbrella. With a more even tone now, he says, “So, with all that being said, does this mean you will stop avoiding me?”

At that, Ren lets out a loud laugh, the first he has all day. “Yeah. Yeah, for sure.”

“Good,” Yusuke says, nodding and offering a small smile, “Because that was certainly heartbreaking, though I must thank you for putting me in a state where I was able to properly depict anguish.”

Ren laughs again. “You’re such a dork.”

“So I’ve been told,” Yusuke says with a wider smile.

The energy between them is nervous and coy, a quiet excitement and warmth. Ren can tell that neither of them want to leave each other’s company just yet, so he offers the first thing that comes to mind, the destination he was already headed to before being interrupted.

“Do you want to come over?” 

—

Ren’s place is nothing special. It’s basically the attic of his boss’s house. When he was put on probation, his boss was nice enough to offer it to him as a way to save money and keep working so he wouldn’t have to go all the way back home. Definitely not the usual, but he’ll take the free rent.

He’s not used to having guests, so there’s a minute of him rushing around clearing up books lying about and finally throwing out some trash that’s been sitting on his desk for a week while Yusuke takes the time to survey his room.

“It’s quite different from the student dorms,” Yusuke thinks aloud. 

“Yeah, I can imagine,” Ren says, making his bed. “It’s probably bigger, right?”

“Not necessarily. The bed is smaller.”

“Really? I mean, my bed’s not that big.”

“It’s big enough...”

They both hear the way Yusuke trails off. Yusuke himself doesn’t even seem to realize how he trails off until it’s too late and his face is starting to turn red. This guy, he’s too much, he’s too cute.

Ren pulls him in for a kiss—a real one this time, not just a press of his lips against Yusuke’s, but a deep, full kiss, like he’s always wanted to. Yusuke kisses back, and though he has a bit of a hard time keeping up in the beginning, he’s a quick learner and starts to match Ren’s rhythm. 

There’s a bit of adjusting, and then Ren gently pushes Yusuke to sit down on the edge of the bed while their lips are still locked. With one hand on the back of Yusuke’s head, fingers twirling locks of blue hair, the other hand grabs the edge of his hoodie, gently tugging upward in an implied question.

Finally, maybe after a few tugs, Yusuke lets out an “Oh,” between kisses and raises his arms to let Ren pull the offending article of clothing off his body. He’s still wearing a shirt—a dark blue one with a stripe through it—so it’s not quite that sexy, but it doesn’t seem fair that Yusuke has his outerwear off and Ren doesn’t, so Ren shakes off his blazer and tosses it on his desk chair. The artist’s eyes are trained on his body, memorizing it just like when they were back on the beach. Feeling the addicting attention and not wanting to disappoint his guest of honor, Ren starts peeling off more and more clothes, feeling the cold air prickle his body, until he’s pulling his last sock off his toes.

“How could you ever have thought I wasn’t attracted to you?” Yusuke says, voice deep with desire.

Ren laughs, and asks playfully, “Do I have your attention now?”

“My undivided attention,” Yusuke answers with outstretched arms. “Come to me.” 

Yusuke’s clothes come off with considerably less grace than Ren’s. They clamber onto the bed, limbs intermingled and lips locked. The skin on skin sensation adds a new edge to their kisses, and it’s hard to ignore the increasing hardness between their bodies. With a fumbling hand, Ren reaches down and grasps Yusuke’s cock in his hand, inciting a small gasp from the other man. Ren licks hard circles on Yusuke’s collarbone while pumping him in time with lazy thrusts of his hips.

“Have you ever done this before?” Ren asks against Yusuke’s neck.

“I—” Yusuke licks his lips. “N-not quite.”

Again, surprising, considering he’s so good-looking. Then again, he is a bit of an awkward kid.

“Might hurt a little,” Ren says, and he sits up to give Yusuke a soft look. “It’s OK, we’ll take it slow.”

Yusuke looks so small underneath him, face flushed, his usually straight hair messy, and that look on his face, nervous, but ready.

“I trust you,” Yusuke whispers.

He’s so sweet, too precious, and Ren has an overwhelming urge to protect him from anything that even thinks about harming him. Instead, he just kisses him, trying to pour his feelings into the kiss, trying to show him how much those words mean to him. With the way Yusuke’s kissing back, it seems like the boy understands.

Cursing himself for not being the most prepared, Ren leans back and dips two fingers into his mouth. He maintains a steady gaze with Yusuke while swirling his fingers all throughout the wet insides of his mouth, making sure his tongue wipes over every groove of his fingers. Then, with his fingers glistening with spit, he reaches down and presses a finger inside Yusuke’s ass.

With a gasp, Yusuke arches up off the bed. His breath quickens and his cock twitches.

“You OK?” Ren asks, trying his best to maintain a steady tone.

“Y-yes.” Yusuke gulps. “It’s just... an odd sensation... but not an unpleasant one.”

“Let me know if that ever changes,” Ren says, adjusting to a more comfortable position between Yusuke’s long legs. “I only want to make you feel good.”

Ren angles his wrist, and Yusuke arches again, letting out a shaky breath. Honestly, he looks so good like this: legs and arms bent, fingers curled and gripping the sheets, eyebrows furrowed, eyes closed, lips parted, adam’s apple bobbing as Ren slips another finger in. It’s an image overflowing with sexuality, and it’s too much for him to handle.

“Ready?” Ren asks, barely able to control the lust in his voice as his fingers curl and push deeper and deeper.

Yusuke lets out a whimper and opens one eye to look at Ren. “I-I think so.”

“If not, I can keep—”

“No, no,” Yusuke says almost desperately. “I’m not sure I can take much more.”

Knowing Yusuke, it’s an honest response, but that doesn’t make it any less sexy. Unceremoniously, Ren spits a glob of saliva in his hand (again, cursing himself for not being more prepared) and quickly wipes his hand up and down his own cock. Then slowly, slowly, he starts pushing into Yusuke’s stretched hole.

A shiver runs through Yusuke’s body, and he instinctively tenses up.

“Ah—!”

“Shh, shh, it’s OK.”

“It—hurts—”

“It’s gonna hurt in the beginning, I’m sorry, but I promise it’ll feel good soon.”

With one eye cracked, Yusuke gives Ren an unsure look. “You promise?”

Ren can’t help but smile. “I promise, baby, I would never hurt you.”

Biting his lip, Yusuke nods and closes his eyes again. Taking that as a cue, Ren starts pushing deeper and deeper into Yusuke. The poor boy’s hands are gripping and twisting the sheets so hard his knuckles are turning white, and it’s enough for Ren to reach out and bring those long artist fingers up to his lips, pressing kisses to them as he slowly starts to thrust. When the fingers start loosening their grip in his hand, he guides it down to the hard, twitching cock between their bodies.

“Touch yourself,” Ren suggests breathlessly. “It’ll make it easier.”

Yusuke lets out a sound between a whimper and a groan, and then his hand starts moving, slow and graceful just like when he draws. It’s a beautiful, sensual sight.

Then, Yusuke lets out a gasp and his face changes from discomfort to pleasure, and it’s like a switch flips on. Ren dips his head and body forward so he’s more on top of Yusuke, and then he starts thrusting harder, deeper. He tastes the sweat on Yusuke’s neck, feels the hot breath on his ear, hears Yusuke’s hard breaths and whimpers. Their bodies are slammed tight against each other, and with Yusuke unable to reach his cock now, his fingers crawl up to the top of Ren’s back, his neck, his hair, anywhere he can touch, anywhere he can grab tight while Ren slams into him over and over.

“R-Ren, I—”

“Come on, baby, you can let go, let go for me.”

“A-ah—!”

Yusuke tenses up underneath him, his legs and arms tightening all around Ren, as warm liquid spurts between them. Finally, Ren lets go of everything he was holding back, and with a few last, hard thrusts and a sound like a stifled groan, he comes inside of Yusuke, riding out the waves of his climax with a few weak thrusts.

The only sounds in the air are their heavy breaths. Then, suddenly aware of how hot their bodies are, Ren leans back to give them both some space.

Yusuke has a dazed look on his face, but when he locks eyes with Ren, his mouth quirks up into a small smile. It’s so soft, and it’s impossible not to kiss him.

“Mm, as much—as I like this,” Yusuke says between kisses, “It is rather sticky all around me.”

“Right, yeah,” Ren says, a bit flustered. “Let me get a towel.”

The towels are in a closet downstairs, and Ren does not want to bump into his boss, his boss’s daughter, or even the cat at this moment, so instead he just grabs a dirty shirt from his pile of laundry and wipes them both clean.

“So,” Yusuke starts after they’ve both pulled on their boxers and Ren joins him again on the bed, “We both seem to like each other, and we... did this...”

It’s so awkward that Ren can’t help but smirk. “So...?”

“So...” Yusuke shifts uncomfortably. “Where do we go from here?”

“Where do you want to go from here?”

“I want to see you. I want to... do this again.”

“Oh yeah?” Ren’s smirk widens. “You want to do this again?”

“Yes, but not too soon, please. I am still rather sore.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Ren interlaces their fingers. “Hopefully it was still good?”

“It was,” Yusuke reassures, staring at their interlocked hands. He strokes his thumb against Ren’s and then looks at him. “I... would like to draw you.”

“Sure, OK.”

“I’d like to draw... us.”

Warmth fills Ren’s heart as he looks at this boy, eyes bright with a soft hope. He gives Yusuke’s hand a squeeze.

“Then draw us.”

—

It’s a regular day at the café, not too busy, not too slow. Students and couples are hanging about, laughing, working hard, drinking coffee, filling the air with a pleasant energy.

A blue-haired boy opens the door. The barista behind the counter looks up. There’s a quick flash of a knowing smile before the barista dips back into a customer service presence.

“Hi, what can I get for you?”

“May I have a coffee, please?” the blue-haired boy replies calmly before adding, “To go.”

“Got plans?”

“Yes, in fact. I’m going on a date with a most charming young man.”

“Oh, would you two quit it?” Ryuji whines loudly from his stool at the counter. “You’re so cute it’s annoying.”

“Let them have their fun, Ryuji,” Ann says, smiling brightly and bringing over the ordered drink. “I haven’t seen Ren this happy since he splurged on that lobster.”

“Lobster?” Yusuke echoes, giving Ren an inquisitive look as the barista takes off his apron.

“Way to ruin the surprise, Ann,” Ren drawls, smoothing out his shirt. “Yeah, I was gonna take you out to this seafood place tonight. You like lobster?”

“I love it.”

“Perfect,” Ren says with a smile. “Ready to head out?”

“In a moment. Can you come here?”

With an eyebrow raised, Ren opens the counter top flap and heads over to the other side. Yusuke reaches up and brushes some hair out of Ren’s face, studying it like he’s trying to draw him with his eyes.

“Now I’m ready,” Yusuke says after a moment or two.

Ren grins. “You dork.”

“Your dork.”

“Would you please leave already?” Ryuji groans.

With a laugh and a wave, Ren takes Yusuke’s hand and leaves the café.


End file.
